Popular tourist activities included gambling, hiring a cloud car for sightseeing the city and occasionally touring the local mining operations. The high-end accommodations were exclusive, with luxury resorts often charging as much as 5,000 Imperial credits a night.[1][2] The Ivax Syndicate also maintained gaming houses on the station.[4] In the months following the Battle of Endor, Cloud City had become the destination to procure rare implants such as brand new oculars and custom-made hands, or entire organ systems for a multitude of alienspecies. However, following the Empire's occupation of the Anoat sector and subsequently, Cloud City, the distribution of implants was temporarily put on hold.[6]

Cloud City was notable enough to warrant the existence of postcards that included such phrases as "Wish You Were Here" in Aurebesh. One such card found its way to Rey while scavenging on the planet Jakku.[7]

Generators on the underside of the city emitted tractor beams that converged below the gas mine's reactor bulb, creating a funnel of energy that mined Tibanna gas from Bespin's lower atmosphere, at depths of more than 23,000 kilometers. The gas was forced up into an opening at the bottom of the bulb, where it traveled up the reactor stalk and finally into one of several smaller reactor shafts, where it was then filtered through a processing vane. Each processing vane maintained a carbon-freeze chamber, where Tibanna gas was mixed with carbonite for flash-freeze preservation.[8] One of the chambers was used on the smugglerHan Solo after he was captured by Imperial forces who had recently arrived at the station.[1] Work areas in these lower levels were primarily operated by the sentientUgnaughts, who performed the monotonous and sometimes dangerous work while bathed in red light, which was the preferred color for the species and also increased their productivity.[2] Many of these tunnels could only be navigated by the Ugnaughts.[9]

Cloud City was built by the eccentric explorer LordEcclessis Figg of Corellia, who offered the freedom of the city to three Ugnaught tribes if they agreed to build the city.[9] With the Ugnaughts having been sold into slavery long ago, the tribes agreed, creating the first iteration of Cloud City.[10]

Sometime after gambling away his starship, the Millennium Falcon, the young smuggler Lando Calrissian gambled big and won control of Cloud City.[10] Sometime during the Age of the Empire, the Devaronian smuggler Gev Hessan did work for Lando to help him build Cloud City.[6]

Shortly after the Battle of Hoth, the fleeing members of the Rebel Alliance (namely Leia Organa, Han Solo and Chewbacca along with their protocol droidC-3PO) landed at Cloud City needing to repair their starship the Millennium Falcon. Initially greeted by Lando Calrissian, the trio ultimately fell victim to Darth Vader's plot to capture Luke Skywalker, using his friends as bait. The Empire coerced Calrissian to surrender the trio to Darth Vader and the Empire, who had arrived shortly before they did. Solo was frozen in carbonite to both reward the bounty hunter Boba Fett for tracking the Rebel trio to Bespin and to test the safety of the facility. Luke Skywalker, sensing the danger his friends were in, arrived at Cloud City in order to mount a rescue only to be engaged in a duel with Vader. By the duel's conclusion, Luke would learn that Darth Vader was his father and would jump down one of the city's reactor shafts in order to avoid joining the dark side of the Force. Meanwhile, Lando Calrissian, upset by the Empire's refusal to abide by he terms of their arrangement—which stipulated that Cloud City was to remain autonomous—warned citizens over an intercom that Imperial forces had invaded the city, all while overwhelming Imperial forces with his local security forces, allowing Leia Organa, Chewbacca, the two droids and himself to escape the city, picking up an injured Luke Skywalker dangling on a weather scanner vane[2] along the way. Captured and frozen in carbonite, Han Solo was transported in the cargo hold on Boba Fett's starship, the Slave I.[1]

After the capture of the rebels, the Empire took over Cloud City, establishing a skeleton garrison to ensure that the citizens would pay proper taxes and fines to the regime. After the Empire suffered a major defeat at Endor, the Cloud City garrison was pulled to support more strategic targets, and there were celebrations in the streets.[11] In the absence of a baron administrator, a council of business representatives came to run the city.[4]

Before word of the Emperor's death could reach the city, Imperial GovernorUbrik Adelhard established the Iron Blockade over the entirety of the Anoat sector, shutting down travel and communications in and out of Cloud City. The city would also serve as the location of Governor Adelhard's personal chamber located within the prime tower. Ultimately, a militia led by Lobot would succeed in relaying messages to the New Republic, and with the aid of the Uprising, would successfully liberate the city from Imperial control.[4]

In the years leading up to the Battle of Jakku, Lando Calrissian and Lobot led a joint New Republic and Bespin Wing Guard mopping-up operating against Imperial troops who had taken up position in the Casino level's Bolo Tanga room. Calrissian managed to convince a dozen of the Imperials to surrender. However, an Imperial sergeant refused to surrender. The Baron Administrator was forced to shoot him dead with his Vitiator. Calrissian and Lobot then chatted about sending a nuptial gift to Princess Leia Organa's then newborn son. They settled on sending a Vantillian catamaran.[12]